Institutions, Economic Reform, and Democratic Consolidation in Mauritius

Four institutional variables — rules of representation, governing public-private relations, structuring distribution, and governing economic policymaking — are often invoked to explain democratic consolidation and effective economic reform. In Mauritius, one of Africa's few consolidated democracies and a successful economic reformer, institutions structured conflict in productive ways but provide an incomplete explanation. Two major ideas — Fabian socialism and export-led growth — also influenced decision makers. Reinforced by favorable trade relations with OECD countries and links with Hong Kong and other Asian countries, they underpinned a broadly shared normative consensus on democracy and supported export-led growth with equity.